Freedom: F-Word #7

Freedom

/ˈfrēdəm/ noun the power to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint

Freedom. What a sweet melodic sound to my ears…. freeeeeedom.

Freedom includes all the things that come to your mind when you think of Freedom in your life. This can be related to finances, to travel, to a free and clear home, to a vacation home or two, to spending unlimited time with those you love, to first-class travel, to abundant resources to help others, to any adventures you wish to experience in your life. In some way, it is the celebration and joy of all of the hard work, set backs, learning lessons, and Failures we experience daily, weekly, and consistently as we grow as humans and as spiritual beings.

Freedom I have found is very personal to each individual. Your goals in Freedom are also going to depend on where you are in your life. So let’s use the brilliant Framework of the late Zig Ziglar of the 4 modes of life: Survival, Stability, Success, and Significance.

Mode 1: Survival

When you are in Survival mode, it means you are really fighting in most areas of your life to just keep your head above water. Maybe your Family is strong, but your Fitness is minimal and your Finances are paycheck to paycheck, or less. When you are in Survival mode, the key is to just get to Stability. Therefore, Freedom is probably the farthest things from your mind.

However, we must have HOPE. Hope is a major key to getting from Survival to Stability and beyond. Therefore, if you are finding yourself in Survival right now, please set a Freedom goal that gives you HOPE! Something to work towards that will keep you from giving up and continue to give you motivation and inspiration to do the things today that must be done, so that you can live the life you truly deserve. Set a short term Freedom goal, as well as one that is going to stretch you beyond where you think you can go now.

Maybe it’s one Friday off with someone you care about, just doing something purely for Fun. Maybe it’s even a half-day. Maybe it’s renting a $2.00 movie from Redbox and making popcorn and cuddling up on the couch with a blanket, your dog or cat, your kids, or a friend, or a lover. If you live near mountains or deserts, maybe it’s taking a one-hour hike alone with friends to just get grounded and connected to nature. If you live near a river, lake, or the ocean, maybe it’s spend a few hours relaxing and enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of nature. (Thanks Sarah for the reminder!)

Whatever it is, no matter how “small” it may feel, it is critical to you moving to the next level of your life. We all need to experience the Joy that Freedom, adventure, relaxation, pleasure and FUN that life has to offer. So what is your next Freedom FUN activity that you have planned to look forward to? Please share that with me!

Mode 2: Stability

To me the Stability mode is the scariest and most dangerous of all. Why? What could possibly be scarier than constantly fighting to keep your head above water in life? Complacency. Mediocrity. Status-quo.

Let’s back track for a minute. Stability is the best feeling in the world when you’ve been in Survival mode. You are to be congratulated if you have reached Stability in all 7 major areas of The F Words of Your Life.

Truly - if you are in Stability in all areas - give yourself a high-Five right now! That is an awesome place to be. You may also find that you are in Success even in a few of the seven areas, which is phenomenal! If you find yourself mostly in Stability, what are your Freedom goals?

You are getting out of bed relatively happy and healthy, you have enough to cover the bills and some in savings or some small investments, you work is Fulfilling enough, you volunteer or give back a % of your income. And maybe how Freedom is represented for you is that you can take a small family vacation every year. Or you are able to easily to give Financially to your most cherished organization or cause. Or you have invested in your own home. These are all amazing and you deserve it. So again celebrate what you have created in your life!

After celebrating and acknowledging all you have achieved to get to a Stability level of your life, I want you to ask yourself...

Where am I TOO comfortable?

Is it in your Fundamentals and self-care?

Is it in your Faith and giving back?

Is it in your Fitness and levels of energy?

It it in your Family, Friends, and relationships with those that matter?

Is it in your Finances in that you are keeping your head above water, but not moving forward beyond that?

Is it in your Fulfillment of that in your job, career, or business?

Is it in your Freedom itself, that you get that experience just “enough” but not fully what you truly desire?

Again, to me, Stability can be the scariest and more dangerous place to reside. When we get comfortable, we stop growing. It feels good not to STRUGGLE, so we get complacent, telling ourselves that this is good enough. But really, is it???

When you are quiet and alone, are you truly living the life you know that you are meant to live? In true levels of SUCCESS in each area?

Here’s the bottom line, living a life of true levels of Success in all areas is not easy. I won’t sugar coat it. Is it rewarding? Hell yes! Does it take intentionality, sacrifice, facing the unknown and admiring you don’t know anything? YES!

It requires a willingness to move out of your comfort zone, one area at a time, and find a new way to raise the bar. That’s what The F Words of Life is all about. To support you with training, tools, and community to keep raising the bar on your life and your SELF.

So if you want more Freedom at the next level of Success, what are you wiling to do differently? Are you willing to let go of comfortable to reach into the next realm of your evolution?

What are your Success level goals in Freedom? Who do you want to be? What do you want to experience? Who do you want impact? What difference are you going to make in your community, your family, or in the world, that will ultimately lead you to Significance and legacy?

You must set goals in all areas of The F Words of Life if you would must experience Freedom at the Success level.

Mode 3: Success

Success in all of 7 of The F Words of Life.... woo-hoo! That is beyond something to celebrate!

Your Fundamentals practice is daily and you have self-care rituals daily.

Your Faith is dialed in with your higher power and Universe and you give back financially and with your time and projects.

Your Fitness is consistent and you have energy to accomplish your mission in life.

Your Family, Friends, and relationships have dedicated time each day, week, or month, depending on the significance of the relationship.

Your Finances are abundant and you are able to make long-term investments in real estate, the stock market, or you own business to create passive income that will sustain you beyond retirement.

Your Fulfillment is truly Fulfilling... in your career or your own business. Not only Financially, but at a personal and spiritual level also. You are building other people up, or you are creating opportunities for other, or you have an organization that creates change. Or you just wake up and Freaking LOVE what you do for the bulk of your day for income producing purposes.

And your Freedom allows you experiences that most on the planet don’t have the resources to Fund.... vacations, houses, time off to be with Family, your own business and rules, first class travel, peace of mind that you don’t have to worry about how much that hotel room or rental car costs....

From the outside, it looks like you have it all. And you have a hell of a lot!

Many will be happy to reach this level of Success and be perfectly content. And I congratulate you and will celebrate with you in that achievement. NO DOUBT ABOUT IT!

So if this is where you are, all I ask is how are you consistently giving back to others? Through your experience, your finances, your training, your opportunity in whatever you see best to make this world a better place one person and/or one organization at a time.

Yet, there’s another level you can still reach. That a FEW of you will want to pursue... just a few.

So my Friends, my question to you is where is the gap?

What is stopping you from reaching true Significance?

Mode 4: Significance

The pinnacle of having true Freedom, SO THAT you can focus all of your efforts on GIVING BACK. Simple and sweet.

So reflect now on The F Words of YOUR own Life. Which mode are you in for each F Word… survival, stability, success, or significance?

What is ONE step you can take TODAY to move the needle towards the next level?

I believe in you. We can do this. Together.

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“They may take away our lives, but they'll never take our freedom!” — Braveheart

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Brenda F Reynolds
Founder & Owner
The F Words of Life

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